Example of a Descriptive Abstract
The three kinds of special writing
assignments dealt with in this chapter are writing about literature, writing
essay examinations, and writing reports. Sets of questions are proposed to help
students generate ideas for an analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of
fiction, drama, and poetry. Practical advice is given about how to write
satisfactory answers in an essay examination. The special considerations and
formats of informative and persuasive reports are discussed, and special
attention is paid to the writing of descriptive and informative abstracts.
Example of an Informative Abstract
In writing about literature, the student is
involved in one or more of these acts: analyzing, interpreting, or evaluating.
In an analysis of a literary text, the two general questions to be answered are
(1) what is the work about? and (2) how is the work put together? In an
interpretation of literary text, the two general questions to be answered are
(1) what did the author mean? and (2) what did the work mean to you? In an
evaluation of a literary text, the two general questions to be answered are (1)
how well did the author accomplish what he or she set out to do? and (2) was
the work worth your time and attention? Sets of more particular questions can
lead the student to more specific answers to these general questions.
In writing answers to essay-examination
questions, the student should (1) read the questions carefully, (2) address the
questions head-on, (3) plan the answers, (4) develop answers adequately, and
(5) avoid padding answers. Examples of answers to an examination question in
American history illustrate adequate and inadequate answers.
In writing both informative and persuasive
reports, the student should give special consideration to the completeness,
accuracy, intelligibility, readability, and objectivity of the report. The
twelve parts of a typical formal report are (1) the letter of transmittal, (2)
the title page, (3) the table of contents, (4) the table of illustrations,
tables, charts, and graphs, (5) the abstract, (6) the introduction, (7) the
body of the report, (8) the list of conclusions, (9) the list of
recommendations, (10) the appendices, (11) the list of references, and (12) the
index. Because of the importance of the abstract, both as a separate form and
as a part of the report, procedures for writing descriptive and informative
abstracts of this chapter of the book are presented.
In the next chapter, in the section on
reference books, you will find descriptions of some of the collections of
abstracts in the sciences and the humanities. You should consult some of these
for further examples of abstracts--an increasingly important form of writing in
the modern world. [1]
[1] Excerpted from Edward P. J. Corbett's The Little
Rhetoric and Handbook, 2nd ed. (Scott, Foresman and Company, 1977)